Mr. Calvert Had Received Several Severe Blows From A
Waddi; One On The Nose Which Had Crushed The Nasal Bones; One On The
Elbow, And Another On The Back Of His Hand; Besides Which, A Barbed Spear
Had Entered His Groin; And Another Into His Knee.
As may be readily
imagined, both suffered great pain, and were scarcely able to move.
The
spear that terminated poor Gilbert's existence, had entered the chest,
between the clavicle and the neck; but made so small a wound, that, for
some time, I was unable to detect it. From the direction of the wound, he
had probably received the spear when stooping to leave his tent.
The dawning of the next morning, the 29th, was gladly welcomed, and I
proceeded to examine and dress the wounds of my companions, more
carefully than I had been able to do in the darkness of the night.
Very early in the morning we heard the cooees of the natiyes, who seemed
wailing, as if one of their number was either killed or severely wounded:
for we found stains of blood on their tracks. They disappeared, however,
very soon, for, on reconnoitring about the place, I saw nothing of them.
I interred the body of our ill-fated companion in the afternoon, and read
the funeral service of the English Church over him. A large fire was
afterwards made over the grave, to prevent the natives from detecting and
disinterring the body. Our cattle and horses fortunately had not been
molested.
The cold wind from the southward continued the whole day; at night it
fell calm, and continued so until the morning of the 30th June, when a
strong easterly wind set in, which afterwards veered round to the north
and north-west.
Calvert and Roper recovered wonderfully, considering the severe injuries
they had received; and the wounds, which I feared as being the most
dangerous, promised with care and patience to do well. As it was
hazardous to remain long at the place, for the natives might return in
greater numbers, and repeat their attack, as well on ourselves as the
cattle, I determined to proceed, or at least to try if my wounded
companions could endure to be removed on horseback. In a case like this,
where the lives of the whole party were concerned, it was out of the
question to attend only to the individual feelings and wishes of the
patients; I felt for their position to the fullest extent that it was
possible for one to feel towards his fellow creatures so situated; but I
had equal claims on my attention. I had to look exclusively to the state
of their wounds, and to the consequences of the daily journey on their
constitutions; to judge if we could proceed or ought to stop; and I had
reason to expect, or at least was sanguine enough to hope, that although
the temporary feelings of acute pain might make them discontented with my
arrangements, sober reflection at the end of our journey would induce
them to do me justice.
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